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Journalist Lola Adesioye says pinching 'The Wire' actor Gbenga Akinnagbe's bum was 'consensual'

Journalist Lola Adesioye’s lawyer, Robert Gottlieb, said she was the real victim and was willing to go to trial if the prosecutors do not drop all charges against her

A journalist for The Guardian has been accused of sexually abusing an actor from the hit series 'The Wire' by touching his buttocks on two separate occasions. However, she is insisting that both instances were consensual and part of their relationship. 

The accusations were made by Gbenga Akinnagbe, 42, who portrays the role of Chris Partlow on the HBO show, against Lola Adesioye, 38. According to a criminal complaint, the star has alleged that Adesioye touched and grabbed his rear end on May and June 2020 respectively. Adesioye is charged with two counts of forcible touching, sexual abuse, and harassment for the encounters. Some of the other journalists who have recently made headlines include Ayesha Faines, Sean Hannity, Malika Andrews, and Tucker Carlson. 

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Who is Lola Adesioye?

Adesioye has had a pretty successful career in the world of journalism so far. She attended Rosemead Preparatory School and James Allen's Girls' School in Dulwich, South East London before studying modern and medieval languages at Robinson College, Cambridge. She was later awarded an honorary master's degree by the university.

Her commentary and analysis on the UK, US, and African society, politics, and culture have been published in the New Statesman, The Guardian, The Economist, BBC, CNN, The Huffington Post, TIME magazine, The Washington Post′s TheRoot.com, and so on. She also regularly appears on TV and radio, including CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, Channel 4, and BET. Adesioye was also one of the founding editors of NBC's African-American news site TheGrio.com. She also served as a Contributing Editor for AOL Blackvoices before it became Huffington Post Black. She has been hailed as one of "11 black commentators you should be following" and has been called one of top wordsmiths in Nigeria. She is also a singer and songwriter. Adesioye has worked in the music industry at major record company Atlantic Records and dance/urban label Ministry of Sound, before moving into project managing large-scale branded international music events. She was project manager of the team – alongside Live Aid and Live 8 producer Kevin Wall.

Adesioye denies the charges

Adesioye’s lawyer, Robert Gottlieb defended his client in the Brooklyn Criminal Court on Monday, July 19, adding that the journalist was the real victim and was willing to go to trial if the prosecutors do not drop all charges against her.  “The charges here are a blatant, brazen lie," Gottlieb said. “Apparently, she pinched his buttocks, which she admitted when she was arrested.” On being questioned by the police, Adesioye said, “Yes, I pinched his bum,” her lawyer said. However, she also textual evidence recorded in three binders, of a consensual relationship between the accused and the star, the lawyer added. “It is unquestionable that there was a romantic, flirting relationship between these two people,” Gottlieb said in court. He claimed that the two texted “incessantly” and the pair also discussed about sleeping together, cuddling, and kissing. After Akinnagbe came forward with the accusations about a year after the alleged incidents, Adesioye was held in jail for a day and a half before being arraigned on the charges and released on May 27, 2021.